This is a story I heard from Shisho.
It was the summer of my second year in university. Led by Kanako-san, my master in the occult arts, I found myself standing in front of a sprawling mansion. She had said, "We're going to see a doctor." Since she was deeply connected with the detective agency where I worked part-time, I assumed we were heading to see Matszaki, an underground doctor (I didn't really know what an underground doctor was, but in my mind, he fit the description completely). However, as I followed her instructions—she was standing on the rear pegs of my bicycle, telling me to go this way or that—we gradually headed deeper into an upscale residential neighborhood. Naturally, this wasn't the direction of Dr. Matszaki’s clinic. That made me recall what had happened just a few days earlier while we were tracking down the mystery of people seeing little people. When I sneaked into the university hospital, Nomura-san, a nurse who was always helping me out, had said this: "Come to think of it, you've been skipping your checkups again lately. Dr. Mashima is worried about you, too, so make sure you come in." It had bothered me at the time, but whenever I tried to ask for details, she brushed it off, and Shisho wouldn't give me a straight answer. About her own body. Did she have some kind of chronic illness that required medical attention? What kind of sickness could possibly afflict Kanako-san, who was always unnecessarily energetic and overflowing with vitality? True, given her financial struggles, her diet probably wasn't great. But seeing her usual robust health—completely unfazed by such things—made me think, *Well, it's probably nothing to worry about.* Even so, whenever I caught a glimpse of her expression from a side profile I hadn't seen before... lacking in vitality—no, carrying a bewitching allure as if her life force were draining away—a small seed of anxiety would grow in my chest.
"Here," Shisho said, and I hit the brakes on the bicycle. It was a quiet residential area that I almost never passed through. Large houses lined the street, and my only impression was that rich people lived around here. Looking at the nameplate attached to the tall stone fence stretching out before me, it read 'Shikata'. "His name is Minoru Shikata," Shisho said. "He retired last year as a professor in our university's medical department. He used to be the dean of medicine." Now that she mentioned it, I felt like I had heard that name before. More importantly, does Shisho actually know someone like that? I had heard that our university's medical department held immense influence in the medical community of neighboring prefectures, and whether or not a hospital could secure doctors dispatched from our university often decided its fate. Naturally, our university's faction wielded great power throughout the regional medical world, and even in the medical departments of other universities, top personnel appointments always took into consideration whether the candidates were alumni of our university. The dean of medicine was, essentially, the top figure of the medical department. I didn't know whether he outranked the director of the university hospital, but in any case, he was someone at the absolute pinnacle of the medical community in this entire region. Shisho had such an unbelievable network among professors and assistant professors of other faculties that it left me dumbfounded. There was a word for someone who could charm anyone, and she was the living embodiment of it. As for me, ever since the day we first met, I had been completely charmed by her.
"Huh? The laundry isn't out. We had an appointment, too. Is he home?" Shisho lifted the brim of her deeply pulled-down cap with her index finger and gazed up at the mansion's second floor, squinting against the glare. It was a lovely day with very bright sunlight. Beyond the entrance gate, a wide garden spread out, covered in vividly colored turf. *Doctors sure make a lot of money,* crossed my mind—a completely trivial thought. When I rang the doorbell, a low voice came through the intercom. *Come in.* With a metallic *clack*, the heavy-looking gate unlocked. Could it be operated remotely? I pushed open one half of the lattice-like double gate and stepped onto the grounds. Following the path extending between the lawns, I reached the main entrance, and the door opened from the inside. "It's been a while," an elderly, tall man appeared, speaking to Shisho in a booming, low voice. So this was Professor Shikata. No, since he had already retired, perhaps he should be called Dr. Shikata. "It's been a while," Shisho said, bowing deeply. It looked almost as if she were being scolded. "Who is this?" Oh, me? Flustered, I was about to say, "I'm just his little tagalong," but caught myself and settled for the safe answer: "I'm a junior from the university." The doctor let out a small huff through his nose, looked back and forth between Shisho and me, and said, "Very well." "Come in." With that, we were invited into the mansion. We were led into a drawing room, and after a short wait, a young woman who looked like a housekeeper brought us drinks. Both Shisho and I had ordered coffee. It tasted quite good. Just as we finished our coffee, Dr. Shikata finally entered the drawing room. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was wrapping something up." I wondered if he had been doing an autopsy or an experiment, but he wasn't wearing a white coat; he wore the same white open-collared shirt and trousers as before. That meant he had probably been writing or something similar. "I've heard from Nomura-kun. You haven't been coming in for your exams, I hear." As Dr. Shikata said this and sat down on the sofa opposite us, the housekeeper re-entered the room and placed a cup in front of the doctor. It was black tea. "I don't trust him," Shisho said, wrapping her left palm over her clenched right fist. "What do you mean?" "I won't let Dr. Mashima meddle with my body." Her words—*my body*—sent a jolt through me. "Mashima-kun is a fine pupil of mine," Dr. Shikata said, setting down his cup and leaning back deeply into the sofa. "Consider it for my sake, and go get your examination." Silenced by the doctor's admonishing tone, Shisho stayed quiet. Sitting beside her, my heart pounded as I wondered what on earth they were talking about. Dr. Shikata had a Roman nose and deeply set facial features. Being pinned by that sharp gaze made me feel like a small animal caught in the stare of a carnivore. While his demeanor and tone were gentlemanly, he was an intimidating man. He possessed an alertness that made it impossible to call him a mere old man based on his age alone. Meeting Dr. Shikata's gaze head-on, Shisho opened her mouth. "My only attending physician is Professor Shikata." "I'm glad to hear you say that, but I've already stepped down from the front lines. I'm just an old man who spends his days reading books he likes." "Is the chairman of the Shikata General Hospital living a life of retirement?" "Indeed. It's the final chair prepared for a man who married into the family. I intend to sit back and take it easy." "Even so, Professor Shikata is my only attending physician. Because any other doctor would fail to diagnose me as ill." "What do you mean?" "You know." Shisho stared at Dr. Shikata's face with a tense expression. The doctor sighed and looked over at me. "Does he know?" "Who knows? He's as dense as they come." Hearing that exchange left me completely in the dark. Being left out in the cold felt deeply unsettling. "What is going on?" "This is what's going on." In response to my question, Shisho gave that brief reply, then grabbed a heavy glass ashtray from the table. The moment she raised it, Dr. Shikata let out a sharp voice. "Stop that." At his command, Shisho froze completely. Then, a wry smile appeared on her face as she said, "It was just a joke," and lowered the raised ashtray. Having no idea what that interaction meant, I could only stand by, thoroughly bewildered. "You must continue your examinations. I intend to provide as much convenience as I can moving forward." The doctor emphasized the word *convenience*. To Shisho, it was likely a recognizable code. Yet, she shook her head. "I cannot trust Dr. Mashima." "Why do you think that?" When the doctor asked, Shisho fell silent for a moment. Then, after a while, she brought up something entirely different. "The Sunakuni Group really does have immense power, doesn't it? I was looking into various things after a minor incident this spring. Aside from their core construction business, they've branched out into logistics and education as well. They're what you'd call a regional financial clique. Whether it's true or not, I heard they only narrowly escaped being included on the GHQ's zaibatsu dissolution list at the very last second... Anyway, they possess a massive amount of capital—so vast that ordinary citizens can't even grasp the big picture. And among their group companies is Yakumo Pharmaceuticals, which has deep ties to our university's medical department." It was a name frequently heard in TV commercials. Yakumo Pharmaceuticals was a drug company headquartered in the city. While not a nationwide corporation, it was well-known locally. "Yakumo Pharmaceuticals is a major sponsor of our university's medical department. No laboratory can survive without funding and subsidies from Yakumo. And it's not just about money. Through personnel exchanges as well, Yakumo, the medical department, and the university hospital are bound by an inseparable relationship. That connection influences other nearby hospitals, research institutions, and factions within the medical departments of other universities. Even the composition of the Medical Association." Faced with Shisho's suggestive look, Dr. Shikata wore an expression that seemed to say, *Good grief.* "You're a graduate of the University of Tokyo's medical department, Professor. You were an outsider at our school. And yet, as the son-in-law of the chairman of the Rokuon-kai medical corporation—which owns the Shikata General Hospital—you amassed great fame, power, and wealth, and won the power struggle within the medical department. This is essentially a proxy war between the Rokuon-kai and the Yakumo Medical Corporation, which boasts numerous affiliated hospitals large and small, anchored by the Yakumo Memorial Hospital. Ever since Professor Shikata took the seat of Dean of Medicine, our university and its hospital have kept a certain distance from Yakumo. I heard a significant amount of non-prefectural capital flowed in. Even so, the fact remains that Yakumo is the 'top shareholder' of our medical department. The absence of Yakumo's influence at the very top of the medical department was merely a temporary phenomenon born from the existence of a singular figure like Professor Shikata. Isn't that right?" "...You've certainly done your homework on the internal affairs of the medical department." "After your retirement, Professor, the new Dean of Medicine is once again completely cozy with Yakumo. The director of the university hospital was replaced immediately, too. From here on out, it's Yakumo's turn for a unilateral counterattack. Now, let's talk about Associate Professor Mashima—no, he's a professor now, isn't he?—who honed his skills under you, an authority in immunopathology, and climbed to the head of the pathology department. Do you know what kind of position he holds within the university now that he has lost your backing?" "What are you trying to say?" "All the conditions are in place for him to start wagging his tail at Yakumo." "...He remains a fine pupil of mine even today. And Isaka-kun, the Dean of Medicine, is a man with a sense of balance. I don't know where you picked up those rumors, but you are taking gossip within the organization far too seriously." "There are people moving around me in ways I simply can't stomach. I thought it was related to the Sunakuni family—you know, because of that little incident this spring. But if Yakumo Pharmaceuticals is in a position to take orders from the Sunakuni family, the picture becomes a bit more complicated." Dr. Shikata stared fixedly at Shisho as she spoke in an even tone. "It means there's a possibility that the data on my 'illness' has been handed over." "That's impossible." At the doctor's quiet reply, Shisho wore a fleeting expression of sorrow. "That place isn't your castle anymore." "..." The doctor fell silent, as if weighing those words, before finally speaking slowly. "I understand your anxiety. We will prevent that from happening. We will completely pull your data back over here as well. From now on, you don't need to go to the university hospital for examinations. Come here. I will examine you." At those words, Shisho nodded happily. "Thank you very much." Dr. Shikata rested his back against the sofa and let out a deep breath. "How long has it been since I first met a patient like you? You were just a child back then, yet now you've grown able to back me into a corner. At my age, I cannot help but feel the acceleration of the passage of time. Nurse Nomura-kun blurted out a string of incomprehensible things as she dragged you here against your will—it feels just like yesterday to me." The doctor gazed intently at his own hands. He had long, slender fingers. To me, completely swept up in the heavy atmosphere, his hands—including those fingers—seemed like a single piece of art.
"Tell me, Professor." "I am no longer a professor." "Didn't you become a professor emeritus?" "Such titles carry little meaning." "Anyway, please tell me. The next House of Representatives election is next year, right?" "The year after next, unless the Diet is dissolved." "There'll be a dissolution. I read the newspapers well enough. I heard a rumor that the son and heir of the Sunakuni family is running in that upcoming election. In District 2. Is that Daiki Sunakuni, the current chairman of the board of the Yakumo Medical Corporation?" "Why are you asking me?" "I heard that when you were head of the medical department, you served as a director of the prefectural Medical Association. You were sent there to keep an eye on things on behalf of the university. And now, having retired from the university and assumed the chairmanship of the Shikata General Hospital, you've taken up a seat as a director of the prefectural Medical Association once again. I've even heard rumors that next year, you'll be sitting in the very top seat of the association." "Those rumors are news to me. As for being a director, I was merely thrust into a troublesome caretaking role. The rule-breaking from my days as dean is coming back to haunt me in various ways now." "No matter how much you humble yourself, the seat of chairman of the prefectural Medical Association is an authority in its own right. One backed by immense practical power... With the lower house elections coming next year, it is only natural that a rookie candidate whose power base is a medical corporation would pay their respects to you—the de facto head of the prefectural Medical Association, which commands a massive bloc of votes in the medical and welfare sectors." "In terms of our stances, we are practically sworn enemies." "Precisely because of that. The rumor is that Daiki Sunakuni is an assassin sent to defeat 'H', the representative said to be the king of District 2 and a candidate for Prime Minister. It's a well-known fact that the prefectural Medical Association backed H in the previous election. Behind the scenes, the Yakumo Corporation—in other words, the Sunakuni family's power—was at work. Now, that same Sunakuni family is running their own candidate. It is easy to imagine that deeply murky conspiracies are being spun to pry the prefectural Medical Association away from H. They will use any means necessary. Even if it means feeding supplies to an enemy." The doctor made a weary gesture and sighed. "‘If three days pass without seeing a woman, one must look at her with fresh eyes,’ is it? Are you trying to play a self-styled journalist? I am a retired old man. I just want to read my books in peace." "This is just my intuition. Daiki Sunakuni of the Yakumo Corporation—no, the Sunakuni family as a whole—smells fishy. It's better not to get involved. I can feel it ringing loud and clear." The doctor rose smoothly to his feet. "Now, enough chitchat. Before I am a politician, I am a doctor. I am your attending physician. Am I not?" "Come along." With those words, the doctor urged Shisho to follow him toward the back of the hallway. He possessed a dignity that made giving orders to others seem as though it were ingrained in his very flesh.
They were apparently going to do the examination in a separate room. Left alone in the drawing room for about an hour, I was consumed by an inexplicable anxiety, having no idea what was happening. When Shisho returned alongside Dr. Shikata, she looked no different than usual, but the doctor's expression seemed somewhat clouded. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we head back?" Watching Shisho prepare to leave, the doctor glanced over and spoke to me. "Are you her partner?" *Partner?* Unable to fathom the profound meaning behind the word, I stood frozen, unable to answer. The doctor continued. "Refrain from sexual intercourse." *Excuse me?* Hit by the biggest shock of the day, my pupils threatened to dilate. "W-W-What are you talking about, Professor? Don't make it sound like I have a venereal disease!" Shisho flusteredly protested. "I am saying it is a matter of life and death," the doctor reprimanded her with a serious expression. "That's not it! It's not that kind of disease!" Shisho said to me in a rush, before turning back to gesture wildly. "Stop it, Professor. He's not like that—he's like a younger brother to me." *Refrain from sexual intercourse.* *Sexual intercourse.* *Sexual...* *Intercourse...* ... Beside their bickering, only those words echoed repeatedly inside my head.
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"Wait a minute. Was Kanako-san—AIDS...?" Stumbling over my words, I tried to name the disease related to the human immune system. For some reason, it felt taboo to say out loud. I had been listening to Shisho's past story when I suddenly interrupted. And clumsily, at that. Realizing she had gotten too deep into her reminiscence, Shisho straightened up with an embarrassed look on her face for having her story derailed. "No. It really wasn't that kind of disease. Or rather, if anything..." Shisho trailed off, wearing a look as if she were searching for the right words. "Rather, one has to wonder if you could even call it a disease at all. Just as she herself said that any other doctor would fail to diagnose her as such." "What do you mean?" In response to my question, Shisho didn't answer immediately. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to recall something. Then, the moment she opened her eyes again, she began talking about something rather complicated. "Dr. Shikata passed away a while ago, but apparently he was an incredible man. My master always emphasized things like power struggles and politics, but he left behind brilliant achievements as both a doctor and a researcher. He served as the director of the Pathology Research Center, which was an affiliate institution of the university, and was a major authority in the world of immunopathology. Dr. Shikata improved the Papanicolaou stain—the fundamental staining method for cytodiagnosis—to examine my master's specimens. He called it the 'Supritz stain,' apparently naming it after 'Supritz,' which means fairy. The original Papanicolaou stain is a technique used to examine cells by differentially staining the cell nuclei blue-ish purple, and the cytoplasm in vermilion, orange, and green. However, because a certain substance contained in my master's specimens didn't react well to traditional staining methods, he went out of his way to research and establish the Supritz stain." "What was that, um, certain substance?" "Well," Shisho said, wearing a look as if she were weighing how much she should share. "Inside the cells, there were some that normally functioned as ordinary cells, but upon a certain moment, they completely transformed into something entirely different. To investigate the true nature of those cells, the doctor applied the Supritz stain, and... he noticed the presence of strange cytoplasm that stained blue-black only in specific cells. The doctor named that cytoplasm the *Supritz variant*. He thoroughly investigated the properties of this variant. As a result, he concluded that it was an 'error' in modern medicine. And with that, he abandoned any further research. Naturally, he didn't present it at academic conferences; he kept it strictly confidential even within the university." "An 'error'?" I parroted her words, looking bewildered. Shisho nodded and continued. "A specific group of cells containing cytoplasm that stained a color resembling the night... The doctor called those cells the cells of the night: 'Night Cells'." *Night Cells.* What...
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